Need help on getting the size of an array.

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ctl3d32

Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 204
Location: Brazil

ctl3d32

Hi folks!

Could someone please explain me how to get the size of an array?

Let's suppose i have a formatted text file that holds the values of an array, like:

1.3 2.5 4.7 7.9 6.7

I need to copy this array to memory. I read the text file, see how many numbers i have, them allocate enough memory just to hold these values to get something like something like: A = [1.3 2.5 4.7 7.9 6.7]

Later, i may need to add/remove numbers to this array. How can i do something like "sizeof(A)" to know the amount of memory i have to allocate?

Thanks,
ctl3d32

13 Sep 2010, 04:09

Tyler

Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Posts: 1216
Location: NC, USA

Tyler

You can't. You have to input the size by hand.

13 Sep 2010, 04:36

LocoDelAssembly
Your code has a bug

Joined: 06 May 2005
Posts: 4624
Location: Argentina

LocoDelAssembly

When allocating, you could request 4 more bytes for the array. Then, before storing the pointer somewhere, you store the calculated size in the first four bytes and then you store the pointer but adding four first (optional step, but recommended so you don't have to worry about it when addressing individual cells).

If alignment is a concern (e.g. you'll use instructions that accesses more than 4 bytes at once), you may allocate more extra bytes instead of just 4 and use the rest for padding.

Example:

Code:

struc Array
{
  .length dd ?
  .base:
}
virtual at -4
  Array Array
end virtual

allocateArray:; EAX = number of (32-bit) floats.
   push    eax
   invoke  LocalAlloc, LMEM_FIXED, addr eax*4 + 4
   pop     dword [eax]
   add     eax, 4
ret

freeArray:; EAX = pointer to array
   invoke  LocalFree, addr eax - 4
ret

; Usage example

   mov     eax, 10
   call    allocateArray

   mov     ebx, eax
   mov     ecx, [ebx + Array.length] ; Equivalent to "mov ecx, [ebx - 4]"
   fld     dword [ebx+4*2] ; Load 3rd element into FPU

   mov     eax, ebx
   call    freeArray

13 Sep 2010, 05:00

edfed

Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 4267
Location: Now

edfed

to know the size of the array, you first need to read the text file, when converting each string in a value, you will increment a counter. ones you find the "endoftext", or "null" byte, it means that there are no more numbers, and then, the end of the array.
the counter will hold the size of the array. and is determined during the convertion of the text file in an array of datas.

13 Sep 2010, 12:03

ctl3d32

Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 204
Location: Brazil

ctl3d32

Thanks LocoDelAssembly!

Exactly what i needed!

14 Sep 2010, 03:05

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